GRAPHIC VIDEO: Wendy’s employee sucker punches customer in Prescott Valley

PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Surveillance video caught the moment a Prescott Valley Wendy’s employee came up to a customer and sucker-punched him after an argument a couple of weeks ago. On July 26, 35-year-old Antoine Kendrick was at the register taking the 67-year-old man’s order. However, police say the man then complained about his order, and that’s when things turned violent.

The man is seen hunched over and licking his Frosty when Kendrick comes out from behind the counter. To the unsuspecting man, Kendrick comes up next to him and immediately throws a punch, hitting the customer in the head, police said. The man falls to the ground as other customers are standing and watching. Kendrick looks at the man lying on the ground before he walks behind the counter, grabs some stuff, and walks away.

Investigators said when the man fell, he hit his head and was knocked unconscious. He was flown to a Valley hospital in critical condition. “Oh, wow that was a pretty hard hit. That was a Mike Tyson hit,” one customer said. “The customer didn’t touch him, so he had no right to touch the customer, period, end of story. I just think that’s horrible and wish it didn’t happen. It puts a bad light on our entire society.”

Another customer says he has been living in the area for 20 years and has never seen something like this. “It’s mellow up here, you don’t have that kind of stuff. It’s a shame. I feel for the guy that got hit. It’s not right.”

Wes New moved to the area a couple of years ago. He describes it as hospitable and nice. “First thought is there is a lot of tension all around in society and so I’m not necessarily surprised but surprised in terms of this area. An employee probably should hold back their frustration and take the higher road,” New said. “Unfortunately, we just need to be cautious and just care for each other and be respectful and try to hold back our frustrations and not get this violent.”

Kendrick was booked on one count of aggravated assault.

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